Help identifying if this is just shedding or trouble

[Miked]

I've just adopted a new Herman tortoise and have noticed there is some scaling shedding looking issue on his face near his beak. I will attach a photo hopefully someone can provide me with some peace of mind

 

[harrythetortoise]

I've just adopted a new Herman tortoise and have noticed there is some scaling shedding looking issue on his face near his beak. I will attach a photo hopefully someone can provide me with some peace of mind

Beak looks like it needs to be trimmed..

 

[TeamZissou]

It's severely overgrown. Here's a similar thread where it was recommended to trim using nail clippers. Alternatively, you can Dremel it down with a small grinding bit.

Cracked Beak

Hi Guys, I'm posting this for a relative. Gone round and noticed a crack on her Tortoises beak. He's eating with no problems, moving around, to me he's as he normally is when I see him. Not sure what to do, so any advice would be helpful. TIA JD

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Miked]

Totally separate issue. Wow I had no idea. I'll definitely do some research and make sure I act appropriately. I was more concerned about the flaking near his jaw. The people that I adopted him from seem to have lost care in the last year or so so. I'm sure glad I got a hold of him when I did. Any advice as this is is my first tort will be definitely welcomed. I've had other reptiles in the past but I still consider myself a newbie. I live in western Canada so unfortunately he's going to be most of the time in the house habitat. Any advice is really awesome and totally welcomed

 

[Miked]

Dremel versus nail clippers any advice. I'd much rather use the nail clippers I think they'd be less invasive not sure how far to trim though

 

[Yossarian]

It looks like the beak a has split already on that side and that’s what you are identifying as shedding. This is potentially serious as it could be or become painful and affect the torts food intake. it’s a tricky task to trim and I would reccomend a vet visit to sort it as you have never done so before and this isn’t just a straightforward trim.

 

[Yossarian]

@Miked just in case you havent seen it yet. Here is the care sheet for your tortoise - its up to date so have a good read.

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise | Tortoise Forum

 

[Maro2Bear]

Greetings. The cracked beak is much more worrisome than the flaky skin on the head. BUT, make sure you start providing daily warm water soaks for your new guy. All that flaky skin will slough off, and you want to make sure everything is well hydrated. As others have said, you need to work on the beak. Thats the big concern.

Good luck.

 

[TeamZissou]

It's hard to tell how severe the cracked beak is from the photo. It does look like the crack runs up and to the left, which is a bit worrisome. You definitely want to be careful of the cracked area in any trimming. I suppose it would be possible to leave that area alone in an effort to let it heal and only trim the middle and other side (as long as that side is not cracked). If you're not comfortable attempting it yourself, this is something that a tortoise vet can do, as was mentioned.

It's worth mentioning that beaks like this aren't inevitable. They result from poor care and diet. If only a little overgrown, they can sometimes wear back down when given the proper foods. The thread linked by Yossarian has the info you need regarding care and talks about diet.

If you have the room, building an outdoor enclosure would be the best option for the warmer months. Inside you'll need a 4x8' area for an enclosure. You can also look into hibernating/brumating the tortoise in the winter in future years.

 

[Miked]

So I've managed to do a small trim on the beak. Enough that it's not so bad going to do another round tomorrow. also in this new habitat as you can see there's brand new sandstone and substrate with tons of hydration hopefully this is going to help him come back to form. Has anyone ever heard of using coconut oil to help with flaky abrasions. There was mention of soaking him but he is 3 years old not sure if that is still necessary. if so I will get a schedule together appreciate some advice. This is the habitat that I got with him was explained to me that this is more than adequate as I'm living in western Canada there's not much of a time frame where he can be an outdoor tort even though in the summer I will take full advantage. Always looking forward to insight and advise.

 

[Miked]

Sorry last post didn't include the big piece of sandstone will attach a photo now

 

[ManAlive85]

Maybe try feeding him on the stone instead of using the bowl. That should help keep his beak short once you’ve got it back under control.

 

[ManAlive85]

What are are you doing for UVB? Is one of the bulbs in the double hood an MVB?

Also, the guys here will no doubt advise you to use a shallower water dish, sunk into the substrate. Your guy looks like he can take care of himself to me but I believe torts can get into trouble with those deep, high sided bowls.

I like the style of enclosure though, great for viewing him.

 

[Miked]

Thank you so much I appreciate the positive vibes there is a UVB bulb in one of the double hood lights both that and 100 watt heat lamp are brand new I was wondering about using one of my concrete bird baths that I have a few of kicking around the yard stuck into the substrate for a bath it would be quite a bit more substantial thinking l this one was actually too small. Again shows how new I am to the tort life my family and I are having a great time though this little guy is going to be very well taken care of

 

[ManAlive85]

You’ve definitely come to the right place for advice, the people here know their stuff. I don’t have anything like the expertise that a lot of the other members here do and can only really parrot their advice but it’s worked well for my torts. You’ll probably find the next few weeks quite expensive getting your setup spot on but once you’ve nailed it, everything will just start running like clockwork and it’ll all have been worthwhile.

It’s likely that the UV bulb you’re using isn’t ideal if it screws into one of those canopies, especially if it’s one of the coiled types. They’re at best ineffective and at worst I believe quite dangerous. Mercury vapour bulbs have also proven not to be suitable for torts either. T5 strip lights are generally considered the best way to provide artificial UV. You’ll be able to find T5 starter kits online that don’t cost too much. Arcadia do a range called pro-T5 in various sizes, you can probably find them on Amazon.

 

[Yvonne G]

Totally separate issue. Wow I had no idea. I'll definitely do some research and make sure I act appropriately. I was more concerned about the flaking near his jaw. The people that I adopted him from seem to have lost care in the last year or so so. I'm sure glad I got a hold of him when I did. Any advice as this is is my first tort will be definitely welcomed. I've had other reptiles in the past but I still consider myself a newbie. I live in western Canada so unfortunately he's going to be most of the time in the house habitat. Any advice is really awesome and totally welcomed

The 'flaking near his jaw' happened when he bit down on his food with a overgrown beak. Not two problems, same problem.

 

[TeamZissou]

Thank you so much I appreciate the positive vibes there is a UVB bulb in one of the double hood lights both that and 100 watt heat lamp are brand new I was wondering about using one of my concrete bird baths that I have a few of kicking around the yard stuck into the substrate for a bath it would be quite a bit more substantial thinking l this one was actually too small. Again shows how new I am to the tort life my family and I are having a great time though this little guy is going to be very well taken care of

Hi Mike, be sure to read the care sheet that was linked. Though you just recently got the tortoise, there will be many things to change with the setup to get to optimal conditions.

Here are things to change in the short term:

• Remove the coil type UV bulb from the lamp. Not only are bulbs of this type poor emitters of UV, they have been shown to cause eye problems in tortoises. Look in to T5 UV bulbs. He will be fine until you get one. Eventually if you can get him outside regularly in the future there may not be a need for one.
• Get an IR temp gun and adjust the height of the lamp so that it's about 95F/35C for a basking spot. Use a regular 'flood' incandescent bulb from the hardware store. 65-100W range.
• The rest of the enclosure should be in the 75-80F range (23-27C). It will be tough to do this with the large open topped tank that you have. You'll most likely need to increase the temperature in the room or put a cover over the top. Having the enclosure close to the sliding glass door will also make it a bit tougher to maintain temps.

Soaking is a good idea. This tortoise hasn't been well cared for, given the beak and pyramided shell. The pyramided shell is an indicator that the humidity and hydration of the tortoise were not good for a long time, possibly its entire life; we worry about kidney damage as well due to poor hydration. I'd do at least every other day for a while, just to make sure he's hydrated.

The size of the enclosure is too small; you'll need something in the 4 x 8 foot range for optimal long term care.